A Southeastern grocer tops this year's list of the 100 fastest-growing
retailers in the U.S., which includes plenty of stores that already have made
their mark in Alabama.

But a few on the list remain elusive in the state. They have
yet to put down roots here or they've got a limited presence.

Grocer Bi-Lo heads the 2013 Hot 100 Retailers List, which is based on domestic sales growth between 2011 and 2012. The list is published annually in STORES magazine, the publishing arm of the National Retail Federation.

Described as a "collection of struggling supermarkets," Bi-Lo tops the list because of its 2011 acquisition of the larger Winn-Dixie chain, a move that tripled its sales.

While Bi-Lo's branded stores are only in Georgia, Tennessee, South Carolina and North Carolina, the company is connected to Alabama through its relationship with Winn-Dixie. It also used to be a sister company to Bruno's Supermarkets, the Birmingham-based grocer that filed for bankruptcy in 2009 and has since gone out of business.

Bi-Lo itself emerged from bankruptcy protection in 2010, and the years since have been marked by acquisitions amid continued consolidation in the grocery business.

Dick Schmalz, a longtime retail developer who worked peripherally with Bi-Lo as he built grocery stores in Alabama, said the company is obviously responsive to market changes.

"They are exhibiting one of the necessary traits of people
who stay in business," Schmalz said. "They seem to have been able to do that through
challenging times and challenging competition, i.e., Walmart and Publix."

Elsewhere on the Hot 100 list, Michael Kors Holdings ranks No. 2.
The company, described as "one of the hottest brands in clothing," has tripled its store count in the past three years.

No. 3 is Sprouts Farmers Market, a specialty grocer that
is mainly located in the Southwest and has no locations in Alabama.

No. 4 and No. 5 are Lululemon Athletica and Apple Stores,
respectively, which both are located at The Summit. Huntsville's Bridge Street Town
Centre also has an Apple Store.

Rounding out the top 10 are UnderArmour, which has an
outlet store in Foley; Amazon.com, which doesn't have brick-and-mortar
locations; H&M, which has a store at Huntsville's Bridge Street; Helzberg's
Diamond Shops, which has a store in Hoover's Riverchase Galleria; and The Fresh
Market, which has five stores in Alabama and one that will open this fall at
Homewood's Colonial Brookwood Village.